Mechanical Engineer - Interconnect & Tendon Systems

About 1X

We’re building humanoid robots that work in home - doing the chores, handling the tasks, and giving people their time back. Simple, but it’s not.

To do this right, we have to solve robotics, AI, manufacturing - at the same time, at scale, in a form factor that has to be safe enough to live with your family. If you’re inspired by this, you’ll thrive here. We’ve been at this since 2014 and we’re at the point where the hard problems are behind us and the hard work is in front of us.

NEO is our flagship - a home robot designed to move, learn, and operate in the real world alongside real people. We’re not demoing it - we’re shipping it. We’re excited to meet you, if this excites you.

If you’ve spent your career working on problems that matter and want to see them actually reach the world - this is that moment. We’re scaling, we’re hiring with intention, and we need people who want to build something that will genuinely change how humans spend their time - safely creating abundance for all.

About the Team

The Robot Interconnect and Tendon Systems team develops the soft goods, harnessing, tendon routing, and compliant mechanical systems that enable reliable motion, durability, and integration across humanoid robotic platforms. A key focus area for the team is the development of foot soft goods systems that must withstand demanding real-world loading, wear, environmental exposure, and continuous robotic operation while remaining lightweight and manufacturable at scale.

You’ll work closely with mechanical, industrial design, manufacturing, and integration teams to rapidly prototype, test, and refine foot soft goods assemblies and interconnect systems that are critical to overall robot reliability, mobility, and long-term performance.

Your Charter

Support the design, prototyping, integration, and validation of foot soft goods systems for humanoid robotics platforms. This role is critical to developing durable, manufacturable, and reliable assemblies including harnesses, tendon interfaces, sewn components, and compliant structures that integrate seamlessly into robotic systems while enabling rapid iteration and scaling toward production.

Key Outcomes

• Design and release foot soft goods assemblies, harnesses, tendon routing components, and sewn systems that meet durability, integration, and manufacturability requirements.

• Execute structured testing and validation efforts to identify wear patterns, failure modes, and reliability risks, driving measurable design improvements.

• Develop and maintain CAD models, drawings, BOMs, and documentation to support prototype and production builds.

• Partner effectively with vendors and internal manufacturing teams to improve assembly quality, repeatability, and production readiness.

• Support rapid prototyping and iterative hardware development cycles while maintaining high attention to detail and execution quality.

Key Competencies

• Strong hands-on engineering capability with experience building, testing, and iterating physical hardware systems.

• Solid understanding of soft goods construction methods, wearable systems, textiles, harnesses, sewn assemblies, or tendon-driven systems.

• Comfortable operating in fast-moving environments with evolving technical requirements and compressed timelines.

• Strong mechanical intuition with the ability to troubleshoot integration, wear, and durability issues quickly.

• Collaborative mindset with strong communication skills across design, manufacturing, and cross-functional engineering teams.

Minimum Requirements

• 2–4 years of experience in mechanical engineering, soft goods product development, wearable products, robotics, or consumer hardware.

• Hands-on experience designing, prototyping, and testing soft goods or textile-based assemblies.

• Proficiency with CAD tools and engineering documentation workflows.

• Experience working closely with prototype fabrication, assembly, or manufacturing processes.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with harness systems, sewn assemblies, rope- or cable-driven systems, tendon routing systems, or compliant mechanisms.

• Background working with suppliers or contract manufacturers on soft goods development.

• Experience designing fixtures, jigs, or test setups for product validation.

• Exposure to robotics, footwear, wearable technology, or high-reliability consumer hardware products.

• Familiarity with rapid prototyping methods and iterative product development workflows.

What does a successful 1X Team Member look like:

Team members at 1X who thrive here are builders. They move fast, own their work completely, and treat time like it’s the one thing you can’t get back - because it is. They say what they mean, finish what they start, and hold themselves to a standard before anyone has to ask. We push each other to be better, and we do it with honesty and respect.

Compensation Range:

$155,250 - $189,750 + Equity

Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

• Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave

• 401(k) plan with company match (100% on the first 3% of contributions, 50% on the next 2%)

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options

• Commuter benefits (transit and parking)

• Short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, financial, and personal support

• Onsite snacks and catered lunches

Equal Opportunity Employer

1X is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, justice system impact, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.